Pete Rock – Soul Survivor: A 15th Anniversary Retrospective

Today, Pete Rock is regarded as a legend in the field of Rap music and Hip-Hop production. The Chocolate Boy Wonder lent his signature sound to numerous classics and remixes over the past 25 years after starting out as a part of Eddie F’s Untouchables crew.

The Mt. Vernon native also served as a student to Marley Marl during his teen years while he was on the radio. Under the tutelage of Marley Marl, Heavy D and Eddie F, it was only a matter of time before Pete Rock struck out on his own. When he did, it was as half of the duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth. After recording two memorable LPs (1992’s Mecca & The Soul Brother and 1994’s The Main Ingredient) that both failed to be commercially successful, despite their overall brilliance, the duo chose to pursue individual opportunities.

Pete Rock began focusing on developing acts such as Mekolicous, Deda and InI in the interim before ultimately deciding to work on a solo project.

Pete Rock signed a deal with Steve Rifkind’s Loud/RCA Records imprint and began work on what would become his debut solo project. Since Pete Rock came up under production legends like Marley Marl, DJ Mark The 45 King and DJ Eddie F., he was focused on making a producer album that hybridized Marley Marl’s In Control series and the 45 King’s early Tuff City LPs.

The goal was to bring that feel and aesthetic to the major label rap game at a time when it was deeply entrenched in the “Jiggy Era.” The final product was an almost flawlessly executed gem that loomed as influential far beyond any sales numbers, charts position or any existing metric in the rap game could possibly even measure.